Tourist fun is not fun for animals!

Tag: elephant appreciation day

September 22 marks Elephant Appreciation Day, but let’s be honest, these beautiful giants deserve to be appreciated every day! So we here at FAA have compiled a list of 5 reasons you should be loving elephants any day of the year!

Females rule!

The elephant society is matriarchal, which means the oldest female leads the group. Adam Stone from Elephant Sanctuarysays:

“This is not your typical social hierarchy that’s based on aggression. It’s based on respect. They follow the oldest female because she has the most memory and knows where the safe haven is, where the food is, and where to go in a storm.”

They live nearly as long as humans

The average life span for an elephant in the wild is around 50 to 70 years!

They have amazing hearing

The most famous sound made by an elephant is their trumpet, which is made during moments of excitement, distress or aggression. They can hear one another’s trumpeting for up to 6 miles.

They love the water

Elephants love to play and frolic around in the water, and how can we blame them? It’s just so fun! It also gives their joints a rest as they swim around, taking the weight literally off their feet.

They ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ too!

Elephants use mud as a sunscreen, protecting their skin from ultraviolet light. Although their skin is tough, it is also very sensitive (they can feel when a fly lands on them!). They take regular mud baths to protect them from burning, insect bites, and moisture loss.